Post-hole digger



(No Model.)

H. L. T. OVERBEY. POST HOLE BIGGER.

No. 588,833. Patented-Aug. 24; 1897.

I I TIGJ.

WITNESSES: IN VENTOI? MW gmw A TTOHNE rs.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC HUGH L. T. OVERBEY, OF SUMMERVILLE, GEORGIA.

POST-HOLE DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,833, dated August 24, 1897.

Application filed April 9, 1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUGH L. 'l..OvERBEY, of Summerville, in the county of Chattooga and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Post-Hole Digger, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved post-hole digger which is simple and durable in construction and arranged to permit of conveniently and quickly removing the dug-up dirt from the cuttingcylinder after the digger is drawn out of the hole.

The invention consists principally of a spring-pressed push-plate held movably in the cutting-cylinder and a foot-piece for moving the said push-plate outward to remove the dirt from the cylinder, the push-plate returning to its normal position on relieving the footpieoe of pressure.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. K

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. Y

3 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The improved post-hole digger is provided with the usual cutting-cylinder A, formed at its lower end with the internally-beveled cutting edge A and having also longitudinal slots at in the side walls for dividing the same into sections, which are sufficiently elastic to permit their separating slightly as they are forced into the ground. This enables it to fill more easily than it otherwise would and holds the dirt better. is provided with a hollow shank A in the upper end of which is secured the handle B, having a cap 0. The handle 13 is tightly fitted in the hollow shank and rests upon a partition b. 111 the cylinder A is held movably a pushplate D, secured on a rod E, extending upwardly and fitted to slide in a bearing in the bottom of the shank a in an opening in the The upper end of the cylinder A Serial No. 631,4:05. (No model.)

1 partition band an opening I) in the bottom of the handle. On the rod E is secured a footpiece F, extending through a vertically-disposed slot A formed in the side of the shank A so thatthe outer end of the said foot-piece can be engaged by the ,operators foot to push the same, the rod E, and the push-plate D downward to remove the dirt from the cylinder A. On the rod E Within the hollow shank on the bottom of the shank A and with its other end abutting against the foot-piece F. Now it will be seen that the spring G normally holds the push-plate D in an uppermost position, as illustrated in Fig.1, and when the operator presses the foot-piece F down as above described,and then releases the said foot-piece the spring G will return the footpiece, rod E, and push-plate D to their former normal position. I It will be seen that by the arrangement described the push-plate D does not interfere (in the least with driving the cylinderA down into the ground, and the push-plate can be readily actuated after the cylinder is removed from the hole with the dirt in the cylinder to push the dirt out, as above explained, by the operatorsimplypressing the foot-piece F with his foot.

I am aware it is not broadly new to provide a post-hole digger with a plunger or pushplate for the removal of the'dirt from the cylinder, and, furthermore, that is is not broadly new to operate the plunger or push plate through the medium of a foot-piece, but heretofore the mechanism for operating the plunger has in most cases interfered with the proper use of the handle attached to the cylinder, rendering it difficult to drive the cylinder into the ground, and when the handle was so made as not to interfere with the operation of the plunger the foot-piece,bymeans of which the plunger is operated, has not been provided with a sufficient guideand the addition of the foot-piece has been so made as to materially weaken the handle. The main object of my invention is to so construct the post--hole digger that the handle will be practically independent of the mechanism for operating the plunger and to provide a construction of digger which will be more dura- A is coiled a spring G, resting with one end ward to remove the dirt from the cylinder A,

ble and effective than the ordinary post-hole digger and one wherein it will be impossible for the action of the foot on the foot-piece to Weaken or in any manner interfere with the operative mechanism for the plunger, and, furthermore, to construct a shank as an integral part of the cylinder and provide for the direct attachment of a handle to the shank, thus adding materially to the simplicity and economy of such an implement.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters said handle being provided With an opening in its bottom, a plunger or push-plate located within the said cylinder, a stem attached to the said plunger, which stem extends within the tubular shank, through the upper partition thereof and into the opening in the handle, the said opening serving as an upper guide for the said stem, a foot-piece secured to the said stem below the said upper partition in the shank, the foot-piece extending outward through a longitudinal slot in the shank, and a spring having bearing against the footpiece and against the bottom of the shank, the said spring being coiled around the said stem, for the purpose described.

HUGH L. T. OVERBEY. \Vitnesses:

THos. X-V. RICH, D. P. HENLEY. 

